Picking Up the Pieces
by Tina101
Summary: Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione right after the war as they struggle to put their lives back together after so much death and hardship. HG, RHr
1. Chapter 1

Picking Up the Pieces 

**Chapter 1:**

It was absolutely silent outside. Harry noticed that as he, Ron and Hermione entered the Gryffindor Common Room. Nobody was there; they were all downstairs celebrating in the Great Hall. The trio didn't feel like celebrating though, at least not with anyone else.

"Do you want Kreacher to make us some sandwiches?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione. They shrugged.

"Sure."

"I guess." Ron took a seat in his usual chair by the fireplace and pulled Hermione onto his lap.

"Kreacher, could you come here please?" There was a _pop_, and Kreacher appeared. When he saw Harry, he stooped into a low bow.

"What can Kreacher do for Master Potter?"

"Could you bring us some sandwiches and Butterbeer please?"

"What kind of sandwiches?" The trio looked at each other, they hadn't thought of that.

"It doesn't matter to us." The house elf bowed low again before disappearing the same way he had arrived.

Hermione closed her eyes and leaned against Ron's shoulder. He rubbed her upper arm and held her as close as possible. Harry took a seat across from them on the couch.

"Is it really over?" she asked as she sat up again. "It doesn't seem like it should be over, this is all we've known for years."

"It is," Ron assured. "Maybe now we can have normal lives." Harry snorted.

"Yeah, that's_never_ going to happen," he commented almost bitterly but more as a sarcastic remark.

"It could!"

"Yeah, but then we'd be boring." Hermione shook her head in disbelief. Some things just never changed; boys would always be boys.

"You guys aren't seriously having this argument," she said. Ron poked her sides playfully, causing her to squirm and suppress her giggles.

"So what if we are?" Kreacher reappeared with a plate piled high with sandwiches and Butterbeer, preventing any future arguments from unfolding…for the time being at least.

Fifteen minutes later, the three friends were all sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace munching on their sandwiches. Despite the fact that it was June, Ron had started a fire. The warm flames added a sort of friendly comfort to the room. Hermione opened up her purse and began to dig things out.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked.

"I'm trying to see what we have. We've stuffed so much in here, I've lost track of it all." She pulled out a handful of wands and put them on the floor next to her. Ron and Harry looked at each other; they knew what she was doing. She was trying to keep herself busy so she wouldn't have to think about everything that had happened.

Not long after Hermione began her little project, the portrait door swung open. The trio looked up, ready for a fight.

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed as she ran into the Common Room. Harry stood up and gathered her safely into his arms. "I thought you were dead. I couldn't believe it." She began to cry. He took her face in his hands and ran his thumbs over her wet cheeks.

"I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'll never leave you." He wrapped his arms around her again and held her as close as possible. They were completely oblivious to the fact that various Order members were trickling into the Common Room. All they cared about was being together again. In truth, Ginny's expressed dears had been the same ones going through Harry's head.

"Good job, Harry," Mr. Weasley said. Harry reluctantly let go of Ginny and shook his hand. Mrs. Weasley then pulled him into a crushing hug.

"I'm so proud of you," she said in a shaky voice.

"I'm _so_ sorry about Fred, Mrs. Weasley." She wiped away fresh tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.

"Don't you apologize; it's how he would have wanted to go." Her voice cracked, and she began to cry again. Mr. Weasley rushed forward to comfort his wife.

Harry noticed that Kingsley had two wands grasped firmly in his hands along with his own poking out of his pocket.

"Whose are those?" he asked.

"Remus and Tonks'," Kingsley replied solemnly. The Common Room fell silent.

"Has anyone told Andromeda?"

"No, not yet." The conversation was grim and depressing to say the least.

"I'll go." It was a statement, not a suggestion, and yet the auror opened his mouth to protest. "Someone has to do it, and I think it should be me."

"I'll go with you," Ginny said as she slid her small hand into Harry's much larger one. He turned around and kissed her cheek lightly, keeping in mind just how many of her brothers were in the room with them at the time.

"I'm going alone." It was another statement that she didn't dare argue. He turned his attention to Ron and Hermione. "I'll meet you back at the Burrow." Kingsley handed over the two wands. Harry gave Ginny one last kiss before stalking out of the Common Room. His shoulders seemed to sag, showing the weight of what he was about to do. He had the agonizing task of telling a mother that she'd never again see her young daughter or son-in-law.

The sun's early morning rays crept across the horizon as Harry Apparated outside or Remus and Tonks' house. He had never been there before. It was a quaint little cottage, secluded from everyone else (probably upon Remus' request). The day was still quiet and young. All of that was sure to change the second people woke up and realized what had happened at Hogwarts the night before.

The fog began to clear as Harry approached the house. The wands in his hands felt like they weighed a ton. His heart pounded in his chest. The front door flew open, sending a beam of light across the neatly trimmed lawn (again, probably Remus' doing).

"Remus? Nymphadora? Is that you?" Andromeda called from the doorway. Her silhouette was outlined by the light shining behind her.

"No, it's Harry."

"Harry?" There was a pause as Harry stepped in front of her. Suddenly, she understood what was going on. "Oh God, no! Please no!" she cried as he held out the wands.

"I'm sorry. They both didn't make it." He gently guided her inside so they could talk in a more private setting. They went to the kitchen in the back of the house. It was a small kitchen since neither Tonks nor Remus were much of a cook. Andromeda took a seat at the table while Harry chose to remain standing. "They both fought bravely," he said almost hopefully as if something like that could somehow ease the pain. She nodded. She was in some sort of daze.

"Where are they now?"

"At the school. You should probably contact Professor McGonagall about that. I wanted to be the one to tell you."

"Thank you, Harry, you're a good boy." Teddy's cries for attention floated to the kitchen from upstairs. Andromeda started to rise.

"You stay, I've got it." Before she could even open her mouth in protest, Harry was gone.

It was fairly easy to find Teddy's room. All Harry had to do was follow the sound of his godson's cries. Teddy's was simple, yet perfect. It was obvious that interior decorating hadn't been high on the Lupins' priority list with the war and everything. There was a crib against the right wall, and a bookshelf on the far wall next to a window. There was also a closet on the left wall and a dresser next to the door. Teddy was in his crib, pumping his tiny feet and fists in the air.

"Teddy," Harry said quietly. Right away, the crying stopped. He approached the crib and peered inside. It was the first time he had ever seen his godson in person. He was much bigger than in the photos provided by Remus. "What's wrong?" He gently picked Teddy up and cradled him in his arms. Harry had never held a baby before, and he hoped that he was doing it right. "There you go, little guy." A book on the rocker next to the crib caught his attention. He ran his fingers over the smooth cover, wondering who had been busy reading it and if they knew what their fate was.

When Harry got back to the kitchen with Teddy five minutes later, Andromeda was mulling over a cup of tea.

"Would you like a cup?" she asked in a distant voice.

"Oh no, I'm fine." She took a deep breath. Right away, he knew that something more was on her mind.

"Harry, you've already been so wonderful, but I have one more thing to ask of you." She paused as she continued to collect her thoughts. "I'm old, I can't properly take care of Teddy. If you could take him it's what Remus and Nymphadora would have wanted." Harry weighed his options in his mind. He had no clue how his life was going to be now. At the same time, he felt like he should honor Remus and Tonks' wishes. But he had no clue how to take care of a baby. One thing kept standing out to him. He had longed for a better relationship with Sirius, would he really do the same thing to Teddy?

"I'll take him."

It was nearly eight thirty by the time Harry got to the Burrow. Teddy squirmed in his arms, he wanted to get down and play. Hermione was sitting out on the lawn reading a book in the shade of a large tree. She looked up and smiled when she saw Teddy and Harry. She gave Harry a hug and kissed Teddy's round cheek lovingly. She instantly knew who he was even though she had never seen him before. Of course, the changing hair color might have had something to do with that. His hair turned from a light blonde to a deep blue, almost black.

"Where's everyone else?" Harry asked.

"The Weasleys are inside. I thought that I should give them some time together. What are you doing here?" she asked Teddy as if he could answer her. She took him from Harry and balanced him on her hip just like an expert.

"Andromeda asked me to take him."

"For how long?" He simply shrugged. She noticed how completely exhausted he looked. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he was abnormally pale. "Why don't you take a nap out here?" she suggested.

"No, no, I'm fine. I have to keep an eye on Teddy."

"_I'll_ watch Teddy, you need to sleep."

"'Mione-"

"Harry, when's the last time you had a good night's sleep?" Hermione argued. Harry stopped to think. In all honesty, he couldn't remember. "That's what I thought. Now, please give me Teddy's bag, and you can lie down in the grass to take a nap." He handed over Teddy's bag and stretched out across the grass to sleep.

It didn't take long for sleep to finally claim Harry. Hermione sat cross-legged on the ground next to him and settled Teddy comfortably in her lap. She pulled a storybook out of his bag and began to read to him. Surprisingly enough, he stopped wiggling and appeared to be listening to the story intently. Hermione held him as close as possible as if clinging to the memory of Remus and Tonks.

It was a little after nine when Ginny and Ron emerged from the Burrow. As soon as she saw Harry's sleep form, she rushed over to him.

"Let him sleep, Gin," her brother ordered sternly, sounding like their mother.

"I know," she said as she sat down next to Harry and ran her fingers through his long, untamable hair. It was soothing to her to feel him so close to her again.

"What's Teddy doing here?"

"Andromeda asked Harry to take him," Hermione replied.

"I feel horrible for her, she's been through so much," Ginny commented softly.

"And we haven't!?" Ron exclaimed hotly. "Fred's dead, George has a hole where his ear should be, and Bill's face is all messed up!" teddy began to whimper, and Ginny took him from Hermione to calm him down.

"Ron, please," Hermione pleaded as she squeezed his hand lovingly to get his attention. "Calm down, we've all been through a lot. Let's not start fighting here." He sighed and laced his fingers with hers. As much as he didn't want to admit it, she had a point.

Taking a deep breath, Harry opened his eyes and rolled onto his back. The first thing he saw was Ginny sitting on the ground next to him.

"Morning, sleepy head," Ron joked when he saw that his friend was awake. Harry sat up and rubbed his eyes under his glasses, which he had slept in.

"What time is it?" he mumbled.

"About noon," Hermione replied. Ginny slid her arm around Harry's waist and rested her cheek against his muscular bicep. He turned his attention to her and pecked her on the lips.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked in a motherly voice.

"Yeah, I did." Teddy leaned towards his godfather from Hermione's arms. He looked like he was ready to fall asleep. "Come here, Teddy." Harry picked him up and held him in his arms.

It was around one by the time everyone was called inside to lunch. The kitchen was crowded and smelled amazingly delicious. Fleur was doing her best to help Mrs. Weasley, but Mrs. Weasley wouldn't hear of it. There was a copy of _The Daily Prophet_ on the table, but Harry didn't even acknowledge it. He didn't want to see what it said; it didn't matter to him.

"Oh Harry dear, let me take Teddy for you," Mrs. Weasley said as soon as she saw him. "How long are you taking care of him?" The question was starting to get old pretty fast.

"I don't know."

"I have an old crib up in the attic if you want. I can go get it for you."

"Mum, I've got it," Bill said. Before Mrs. Weasley had a chance to react, he was dashing upstairs. She smiled weakly before going to find Teddy something to eat.

It was a tight fit for lunch, but nobody seemed to mind. Despite the events from the night before, there was laughter in the air. Harry slid his left hand under the table and drew circles on Ginny's knee with his thumb. She gave him a small, flirty smile that none of her brothers noticed.

"Where are we going to stay tonight?" hermione asked him. "Will we go back to Grimmauld Place?"

"Probably," Harry replied.

"I want to go too," Ginny spoke up.

"You and Ron should probably stay here for a few days to be with your family."

"But I want to be with you!" she cried, drawing the attention of several of the Weasleys.

"Right now you need to be here with your family!" Without warning, Ginny pushed herself away from the table and dashed out the door. Harry rushed after her. An uncomfortable silence settled over the rest of the inhabitants in the kitchen.

Harry found Ginny standing under the large tree in the backyard with her arms wrapped around herself.

"Gin," he said as gently as possible.

"Go away, Harry, that's what you do best." He put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not leaving until we can talk." She spun around to face him. tears welled up in her pain filled eyes.

"There's nothing to talk about. You, Ron and Hermione are going to leave me behind…again! I'm used to it though," she added bitterly. He took her face in his hands and ran his thumbs over her cheeks.

"We left you behind so you'd be safe," he reasoned.

"I don't care about that! All I want to do is be with you! These past few months, all I've thought about is you holding me again; making me feel safe again." She paused. "Please ,Harry, just hold me." He didn't need telling twice. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"I promise, in a few days you and Ron can come to Grimmauld Place _after_ you spend some time with your family." She opened her mouth to protest even more. "No, I'm your boyfriend. I know what you're going through, and I think that this would be good for you."

"What about me!? What about what I think?"

"What _do_ you think?" she stopped. tears rolled down her cheeks as she shook her head.

"I don't know. I just don't know what to think. Fred's gone, my older brother's gone, and it's not fair!" Ginny burst into tears. Harry rubbed her back and did his best to console her, even though he knew that letting it all out was probably the best thing for her at the moment. She was willing to do something no one else was by grieving publicly.

**A/N:** Long first chapter, I know. Also, I created a Harry Potter fan fiction forum. Check out my profile, it's my homepage!!!

Tina101


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

It was the day Ron and Ginny were due to arrive at Grimmauld Place, and the musty old air was filled with a sense of excitement. Neither Harry nor Hermione had talked to any of the Weasleys in three days; giving the family the space they needed to mourn Fred's death properly. Harry and Hermione sat in the parlor trying to keep Teddy occupied with his toys…and away from anything that could have a trace of dark magic in it, when there was a _pop_ in the foyer. Teddy looked up with his large, brown eyes, much like his father's.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Ron called.

"In here," Hermione replied. He appeared in the doorway with Ginny behind him. "Hey stranger." They both entered the room. She sat on the floor next to Harry while Ron sat on the arm of the chair Hermione was sitting in.

"Did you miss me?" Ron asked his girlfriend.

"Oh, like you wouldn't believe," she replied with sarcasm dripping form every word she said.

"Good." Ginny made a face of disgust. Harry snaked an arm around her waist and gently pulled her close against his body.

"They're just as bad as Bill and Fleur," she complained to him. He simply smiled.

"How are Bill and Fleur?" She shrugged.

"Good I guess. They left last night. They have this really nice little cottage on the sea."

"I know. We stayed there for a few weeks." She looked up at him with those captivating brown eyes of hers.

"What happened to you guys, Harry?" she asked quietly. "I've only heard rumors, and I want to know the truth." Harry kissed the top of her head softly, allowing his lips to linger for a few extra seconds.

"I promise, I will tell you; just not yet." Not in the mood to get in another argument after seeing each other for the first time in several days,

That evening, Hermione and Ginny worked together to make a simple dinner for the five of them in the under stocked kitchen.

"Where are we sleeping tonight?" Ron asked as he and Harry (who was carrying Teddy) entered the room and sat at the table.

"Hermione, Teddy and I have been camping out in the parlor. It's up to you guys as to what we do tonight."

"Could we sleep in the parlor, just for one more night?" Hermione asked as she flicked her wand, causing the dishes to fly over to their proper places on the table.

"Sure," Ron replied with surprising compassion towards his girlfriend. Ginny put the cauldron of soup on the table ad slid into the vacant seat next to Harry. Hermione took a seat in between Ron and Teddy, who was in one of the Weasley's old highchairs. The conversation at dinner was kept light and minimal.

Teddy was fast asleep by nine o'clock that night. Harry tucked him into the crib in the corner of the parlor and cast a spell over it so their talking wouldn't wake him up again. Hermione stretched out across the couch with her head in Ron's lap. Harry started a small fire in the fireplace to ward off the cool night air before taking a seat on the floor next to Ginny.

"How long do you think it'll be before things go back to normal?" she asked quietly as she settled comfortably into his strong arms.

"Probably a few months," her brother replied. "There are a lot of things to clean up. Besides, there's probably going to be a few Death Eater wanna-bes stepping up and trying to be all tough." She gave Harry a frightened look. It almost appeared as if fresh tears were about to spill down her cheeks.

"Don't worry, we'll all be fine," he assured. She still didn't look convinced.

"I wouldn't worry, Gin, the Ministry's doing massive sweeps," Hermione said sleepily. "There's nothing to really worry about." Ginny leaned against Harry's chest while fears of being found by the wrong people swarmed her already confused mind.

When Ron woke up the following morning, Hermione's hand was dangling above his head. He was laying on the floor right next to the couch she was sleeping on. He sat up and stretched. Harry and Ginny were fast asleep together a little ways off, catching his attention. She was curled up against him with her head on his chest. Even though they looked so happy and peaceful together, he couldn't help but feel protective of his younger sister. A scowl pulled across his lips.

Hermione stirred, and her eyes fluttered open. She smiled when she saw the back of Ron's head right next to her. Her gaze followed his over to their friends.

"Morning," she whispered before leaning over and kissing his cheek softly. "How did you sleep?"

"What? Huh?" She sighed. She had interrupted one of the few times Ron got lost in thought.

"Don't worry about Harry and Ginny, they're not going to do anything stupid…with you in the room," she added softly. Luckily, he didn't hear the last part.

"I know, but it's my kid sister and best friend," he argued.

"Didn't we go through the same exact thing last year?" Ron sighed.

"You're missing the point."

"No, I think you are." Her voice rose a little. "The point is that they're happy, need I say more?" His gaze drifted down to his lap in shame.

"I guess not." His stomach growled, causing Hermione to laugh.

"Come on, I'll make us some breakfast." She stood up and helped him to his feet. They walked hand in hand to the kitchen.

Shortly afterwards, Teddy's cries jolted both Harry and Ginny from their sleep and forced them to forfeit their comfortable position. He stumbled to his feet while she stretched out across the floor. She noticed that Ron and Hermione weren't in the room anymore.

"I guess Hermione and my brother are already awake," she said as she got to her feet. Harry picked Teddy up and gently bounced him in his arms to clam him down.

"Guess so. Come on, let's go." She stood up and followed him to the kitchen to get something to eat themselves.

In the kitchen, Ron was sitting on a chair with Hermione sitting sideways on his lap. Their lips were locked together in a passionate kiss. Harry and Ginny looked at each other with amused smiles on their faces. He cleared his throat, and the couple broke apart.

"Morning," Harry said.

"Morning," they mumbled in unison. Hermione got up off Ron's lap. Both their faces were bright red.

"I'm, uh, gonna go get dressed," she stammered before slipping past Harry and Ginny to go upstairs to get her clothes. Both of them still looked highly amused at catching their two best friends making out in the kitchen.

"What!?" Ron demanded when he saw their faces. He got to his feet.

"My little Ronny-kins is all grown up with a girlfriend," Ginny said in a baby-like voice as she pinched his cheeks playfully. He swatted her hand away.

"Shove off, Gin," he mumbled in obvious protest.

"No way!"

"Come on, give him a break," Harry said, earning him a scowl from her.

"You guys are no fun," she complained as if she was a small child.

"Tell us something we don't know," Ron commented. She threw him a dirty look before sauntering over to the stove to see if Hermione had gotten started on breakfast. She wasn't surprised to find that she hadn't.

Hermione finally decided to join everyone else for breakfast about twenty minutes later. She had on jeans and a plain green t-shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun on the nape of her neck.

"Ronny-kins missed you," Ginny teased mercilessly. Hermione threw her a deadly look. She and Harry couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Okay, okay, enough. Let's eat!" Ron announced in his typical style. Ginny and Hermione rolled their eyes. Some things, like Ron's constant need for food, would _never_ change.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

The warm June sun beat down on the lawn as the mourners stood in rows with tears in their eyes. Ron snaked as arm around Hermione's waist and pulled her close. This was their third funeral in a week, and luckily it was their last. All of the funerals were starting to wear everyone out, especially Hermione.

Once the ceremony was over, Harry broke away from the crowds of people to say goodbye privately. In his arms he cradled a fast asleep Teddy. He walked across the lawn, weaving through other headstones to his destination. He raked his fingers through his hair as he stood in front of two of the five headstones that stood in a straight line and gathered his thoughts.

"Don't worry about Teddy, I promise I'll do my best to raise him. I know it's not the same as being raised by you guys, but it's something." Teddy whimpered in his sleep. "Rest in peace, Remus and Tonks," Harry said softly. Before turning to leave, he glanced at the other three headstones. A small smile played across his lips. The Marauders were all finally together, along with Tonks and Lily.

That evening, Harry and Ginny were curled up on the couch together while Hermione sat in what was becoming her favorite armchair, and Ron sat cross-legged on the floor by her feet. Teddy was fast asleep in his crib in a corner of Harry's room.

"Who do you think will run Hogwarts now?" Ginny asked no one in particular. Everyone shrugged.

"It's hard to tell. There's just so much cleaning up to do," Ron replied. "Plus, it's hard to find someone to top Dumbledore."

"How could Snape kill him? I mean, if they were so close, wouldn't he have figured it out?" Hermione asked.

"No, Dumbledore asked Snape to do it."

"What!?" Ron, Ginny and Hermione all exclaimed at the same time as their heads whipped around to face Harry. He found himself telling everyone about what he had found out after Snape's death. Everyone listened intently to his short story.

Once he was done, Ron asked, "So that bastard was just doing what he was told?"

"Ronald!" Hermione scolded.

"What!? I'm just asking a question!"

"It's your tone and language! Snape sacrificed his life for all of us! Did you think about that? Or the fact that he had to kill one of his closest friends?" His face fell as her words sank in.

"No, I guess not," he mumbled in obvious defeat.

"See, that's what you do. You have a hot temper, and you jump to conclusions without thinking. It happened before, and you left!"

"I left because you pissed me off."

"Oh that's right, it's always my fault."

"That's not what I said."

"But that's what you implied!" Ginny felt _very_ confused as to what was going on. She had no clue what either of them were really talking about and felt out of the loop. "You know what; I just can't take it anymore." With that said Hermione got to her feet and stormed out of the room. Sighing, Ron rushed after her to try and make amends.

By the time Ron got up to Hermione's room, she had already locked the door. He pulled out his wand, but it didn't do anything to help.

"Come on, 'Mione, let me in," he pleaded through the door in hopes that it might actually work.

"Go away!"

"No, I want to talk to you. I'm sorry for getting all upset."

"You don't even get it! I'm not angry about that." Sighing, he leaned against the door frame. Sometimes he just didn't understand the female species.

"Then let me know why you're mad so I can help." He paused. "Please baby?" He sounded so desperate to talk that Hermione couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He heard a click, indicating that the door had been unlocked.

When Ron entered Hermione's room, he found her sitting on her bed in shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top. He took a seat on the bed next to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked as gently as possible. She turned slightly to face him.

"See, you don't even realize what you do. You immediately attacked Snape without thinking. He made one of the ultimate sacrifices. Not only did he give up his life, but he also killed his friend. What if you had to kill Harry? What if you had to kill me?" she asked quietly. He froze for a few seconds as he contemplated these unexpected words.

"I don't know," he confessed. "I never thought of it like that."

"See, sometimes you don't think. You're so intelligent, so act like it." He slid his hand on top of hers.

"Are you better now?" She shrugged.

"I guess."

"Do you want to talk about anything else?"

"No, I just want to go to bed." He kissed her cheek softly to say goodnight and left the room. Once he was gone, Hermione curled up under the blankets. She was so exhausted that sleep quickly claimed her.

Harry and Ginny stayed up together past midnight. Harry was the first one to get up to go to bed. He stood up and hovered over her. Their lips met in a tender kiss.

"Goodnight," he mumbled against her amazingly soft lips. His warm breath tickled her skin. She wound her fingers through is wild hair and pulled him in for a deeper kiss. Harry braced himself against the couch as he happily returned the affection. By the time the kiss broke off, they were both out of breath.

"Goodnight," Ginny said. He kissed her forehead softly before leaving.

As Harry passed by Hermione's room, he heard some whimpering sounds. He opened the door cautiously and found her whimpering in her sleep. He approached the bed and gently shook her awake. Gasping, her eyes shot open.

"Are you okay, 'Mione?" he whispered into the semidarkness. She nodded as she propped herself up on one elbow.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was, uh, just a bad dream."

"Are you okay now? Do you need me to get Ron?"

"I don't need Ron for everything. I was just fine without him before." There was a sense of bitterness in her voice from her fight with Ron earlier that evening.

"No you weren't," Harry argued.

"Really, Harry, I'm fine. Night."

"Night." He reluctantly left Hermione alone to go to sleep himself. She pulled her quilt tightly around her shoulder and succumbed to an almost hesitant sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

The Weasleys all gathered at the Burrow to have dinner together; everyone but George. The Burrow was extremely crowded with everyone moving around all at once. Even Percy had returned to enjoy his mother's cooking.

"Where's George?" Charlie asked his father.

"He's not coming. He's really busy with work," Mr. Weasley replied solemnly.

"Okay, let's eat," Mrs. Weasley said as she put the final platter of food on the table. It was obvious that she desperately wanted to change the subject. Everyone shuffled around the kitchen to try and find a seat. Harry sat near the head of the table with Ginny on his right and Percy on his left. People began to serve themselves food and passed the platters around the table.

During dinner, conversation at the far end of the table turned to the mess Gringotts was still trying to sort out from Harry, Ron and Hermione's escapade.

"What I don't get is why," Bill commented. The three avoided eye contact with him; especially Hermione, who seemed entirely too uncomfortable with the subject.

"It's a _long_ story," Ron replied before taking a sip of his Butterbeer.

"But Bellatrix Lestrange? There had to be an easier way."

"Not really."

"Excuse me," she said quietly before fleeing the room. Ron sat frozen in his seat for a few seconds.

"Go see eef she eez alright," Fleur hissed to her brother-in-law. He also excused himself from the table and rushed after Hermione.

Ron found Hermione in his old bedroom staring out the window. She looked pretty upset about something as if she were going to burst out into tears at any given second for no apparent reason. He leaned against the doorframe with his hands jammed deep into the pockets of his robes.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She nearly jumped out of her skin before spinning around.

"Yeah, it was just, uh, really…stuffy down there," she replied quickly. It was obvious that she was lying through her teeth to him about something, but he decided not to make a scene.

"Are you better now?"

"A little." He wrapped his arms around her and tried his best to comfort her.

"Say we go home? You look pretty pale." Hermione shook her head into his chest and allowed herself to be held like a small child.

"I'm fine; I just needed to take a break." Ron wasn't convinced at all.

"Come on babe, let me take you home." Instead of risking getting into an argument, she finally relented.

"Okay, let's go."

"I'll tell my mum and be right back." He pecked her on the lips before going back downstairs.

In the kitchen, everyone had gone back to what they had been doing and talking about before Hermione's outburst.

"Mum," Ron said as he entered the overcrowded room. "Hermione and I are going to head home."

"Oh, let me get you guys some food to take," Mrs. Weasley said as she got to her feet and began to bustle around the room the best she could with all the chairs and people.

"No, it's fine. We're just going to leave."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Hermione doesn't feel well."

"Oh Ron, can you take Teddy with you?" Harry asked. Teddy was beginning to nod off in his godfather's lap.

"Sure." Harry handed him over to Ron before sitting back down. Teddy was too tired to even notice what was going on.

"Thanks, we'll see you guys at home." Ron said goodbye to the rest of his family and went back up to his room to get Hermione.

By the time Harry and Ginny got home later that night, both Hermione and Teddy were fast asleep while Ron was up reading a book in the kitchen.

"Wow, you're actually reading a book voluntarily?" Ginny joked as she flopped down in the chair next to her brother. He shot her a dirty look. "Whatcha reading anyway?" Without warning, she took the book from him.

"Hey, give it back!"

"Quidditch, big surprise." Ron took the book back and hit her with it playfully. "Hey!"

"Okay, okay children, cut it out!" Harry exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around Ginny from behind. "I'm going to go to bed," he whispered in her ear. "Night baby." He gave her a goodnight kiss. "Goodnight Ron." Ron nodded goodnight as he went back to his book. Harry gave Ginny one last lingering kiss before retreating upstairs.

After Harry was gone, Ginny got up to get her and Ron some Butterbeer. She could tell that he had a lot on his mind.

"Do we have anything stronger?" he complained when he saw what she had put in front of him.

"Just drink it," she snapped as she sat back down. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied quickly. Ginny drank her Butterbeer in silence. After a few minutes, he asked her, "Could you see yourself with Harry in a few years?" She gave her brother an extremely confused look.

"Where is this coming from?" He simply shrugged.

"I dunno, Harry's my best friend, and you're my kid sister."

"So talk to Harry, not me," she reasoned as she stood up to put her empty Butterbeer bottle in the sink.

"Why can't you tell me?"  
"Because one second you're giving me and Harry dirty looks for acting like a normal couple, and the next you're asking me questions like this."

"It's an honest question!"

"Well here's an honest answer, shove off!" With that said, Ginny stormed out of the kitchen. Sighing, Ron got up to see if there was any Firewhiskey left. After dealing with Ginny's attitude and Hermione's sudden personality changes, he was in desperate need of something _much _stronger.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

Ginny stood at the stove trying to make a pie from a recipe her mother had given her when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist from behind.

"Hey beautiful," Harry whispered in her ear. A smile crept across her face. Just as they leaned in to share a kiss, Teddy began to cry. Harry sighed. "I'll be right back."

"You better!" Ginny called over her shoulder.

Just as Harry returned to the kitchen with a giggling and cooing Teddy in his arms, the doorbell rang. Right away, Mrs. Black began to scream, causing Teddy to scrunch up his small face and wail at the top of his lungs.

"I'll get the door," Ginny offered over all the noise before dashing out of the kitchen, leaving Harry to calm Teddy down.

Ginny ran down the hall to answer the door. She could hear Ron upstairs trying to calm Mrs. Black down. She ignored them and opened the door, revealing Bill and Fleur.

"Hey!" she chirped as she gave her oldest brother and sister-in-law each a warm hug. She had begun to like Fleur; after all, most women would have left Bill after his attack. "Come on in." Mrs. Black was still screaming upstairs.

"I can take a look at that painting to see what can be done about it," Bill offered.

"Could you?" Ginny sounded desperate. "Not only does she drive us up the wall, but Teddy's deathly afraid of her

"Sure." When everyone got down to the kitchen, Harry was still trying to calm Teddy down.

"Oh, 'ere 'Arry, let me see 'im," Fleur offered. "I used to 'elp take care ov my seester." He handed her Teddy. She cooed over him, speaking in French.

"What can we do for you guys?" Ginny asked.

"Can't a guy visit his kid sister?" Bill asked as he swung his arm over her shoulders.

"Well yeah, but we weren't expecting you." Harry had never seen Ginny and Bill interact. It was obvious that they were extremely close despite the age difference. Ron entered the kitchen looking pretty winded.

"Hey," he said unenthusiastically when he saw Bill and Fleur as if they visited on a daily basis. "What's up?"

"We have some exciting news to tell you," Bill replied. Fleur handed Teddy back over to Harry. The baby as now calm and cooing again as if nothing had happened at all.

"I'm pregnant!" she exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement anymore.

"No way! Do Mum and Dad know?" Ginny gushed.

"We told them yesterday. Mum's beside herself, of course."

"This call for a toast," Ron said as he conjured up a bottle of Firewhiskey he had finally got around to buying, some pumpkin juice for Fleur and some goblets.

"Vere eez 'Ermione?"  
"She's trying to take a nap," Ron replied, eyes downcast. He and Harry poured drinks, and everyone toasted to Bill and Fleur's baby. There was a pang of guilt among the men this was exactly like when Remus had arrived at the Shell Cottage announcing the birth of Teddy.

"How's George been?" Harry asked Bill. The oldest Weasley sighed heavily.

"He's working a lot. Mum, Dad, Charlie and I have all tried to talk to him, but he doesn't want to."

"Maybe I can try." Crookshanks slipped into the kitchen and stalked under the table. Ginny took Teddy from Harry and sat down on the floor next to the table to play with the cat. "I'll run down to his shop as soon as I can."

"Thanks." Bill and Fleur only stayed for a little while longer before heading back to the Shell Cottage.

After lunch, Ginny finished up her pie while Harry sat at the table working on a to-do list and Teddy sat on his lap making his working that much harder.

"So I need to talk to George, clean out Sirius and Remus' old rooms and work on Teddy's room, anything else?" She approached him and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind.

"Yeah, relax and spend time with your girlfriend." He put down his quill. "Come on, honey, when's the last time we spent some time together?"  
"I dunno, Gin, I have a lot to get done." She left a trail of kisses from his ear, along his jaw, to his mouth.

"Please?" Before Harry could say anything else, Hermione trudged into the room. It was obvious that she hadn't slept at all.

"Hey 'Mione," Ginny said.

"Where's Ron?"

"He went out for a little bit, he should be back soon," Harry replied. She nodded, half listening. "Do you need anything?"  
"No, I'm fine." Ginny gave him one last kiss on the cheek before going back to her pie.

"Do you want to talk about what's on your mind?" she asked Hermione.

"There's nothing to talk about," she snapped.

"Then why are you depressed and not sleeping at night?"  
"It's nothing, okay!? You wouldn't understand anyway!" she exclaimed before storming out of the room. Sighing, Harry ran his fingers through his hair. Teddy looked up at him with his big eyes as if he could sense the tension in the air. Harry was at a loss at what to do about Hermione. It wasn't going to be long before she completely crashed and burned.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Harry opened the door to Remus' old bedroom. There wasn't much left since he had moved in with Tonks, but there was still some cleaning to be done.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked from behind him. He spun around, clearly shocked by the company.

"I'm gonna get started on cleaning out Remus' room while Teddy's down for his nap."

"I'll help you." It was a statement, not a suggestion, and Harry knew better than to argue with her, and yet, he did.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, like I have anything better to do." She slipped past him and entered the room. He quickly followed her.

"We should make two piles, keep and throw away." She nodded. "Don't throw out anything that has to do with the Order or anything Andromeda might want."

"Got it." Harry started on the dresser while Hermione drifted over to the desk. She shuffled through a stack of papers on top. "Harry, take a look at what I found." She handed him the papers.

"They're letters from Remus to Tonks." He scanned them over briefly. " 'I can't stand not knowing if you're safe or not. _Please_ let me know as son as you can. I don't care what you say, I don't care how much you push me away, I'll always care about you in some way,'" he read aloud as Hermione read over his shoulder.

"He kept them, so he must have cared too," she whispered.

"Keep all of these for Andromeda and Teddy when he's older."

"I will." She went back to work, sorting through all of the papers on Remus' old desk. Every time she put something in the trash pile, she felt a pang of guilt. She was condensing someone's life to a few boxes that would be stored in the attic for years until someone finally remembered that they were there and brought them out for a few measly hours to reminisce on the past. Sometimes life just wasn't fair.

Just as Ginny slid under the covers that night, a horribly pained scream tore through the air from Hermione's room. In a flash, she was out of bed. She pounded up the stairs to Ron and Harry's rooms.

"Ron, Harry! Wake up!" Both boys appeared in their respective doorways, ready for the worst.

"What is it?"

"What's wrong?"

"It's Hermione, she's screaming, and I don't know why." Ron shoved past his sister and ran downstairs. She and Harry ran after him.

Hermione was curled up in a fetal position sobbing while Ron desperately struggled to wake her up from her nightmare.

"it's a fake, we found it," she sobbed. Harry stood in the doorway with Ginny. "Ron!"

"'Mione, you're safe, wake up." Hermione's eyes flew open. Her head whipped around as she got her bearings. Tears still rolled down her cheeks. Ron gently stroked her hair. "It's okay, it's okay, it was only a dream," he cooed.

"No it wasn't, I saw her face." It dawned on Harry what she was talking about, and he decided that he and Ginny should probably leave.

"Come on, Gin," he said in a low voice as he tried to pull her out to the hallway. She jerked away. "Let's go Ginny." His tone was more forceful. He grabbed her upper arm firmly and pulled her out to the hall, closing the door behind them.

"Why did you pull me out?" she demanded, clearly seething and wishing she had her wand with her at that exact moment.

"So Hermione can have some space." Ginny crossed her arms over her chest.

"I want to know why Hermione's so upset. I'm sick and tired of being left out!"

"Fine, we'll go up to my room and talk." She laced her fingers with Harry's and followed him up to his room. Truthfully, she was surprised that he had finally buckled.

Meanwhile, Ron sat on Hermione's bed with his arms wrapped around her as tightly as he could without making her feel uncomfortable. She was still pretty shaken up.

"Don't leave me," she said quietly into his chest.

"I won't, I'll be right here with you."

"I could see her face, laughing at me. It seemed so real." Ron rubbed her arm and buried his face in her hair.

"Bellatrix is dead now, Mum killed her. She can't touch you anymore." Hermione buried her face in the nape of his neck.

"Will you stay here with me tonight?" Her question was muffled because of his skin.

"Of course. Are you ready to go back to sleep?" She nodded. Ron maneuvered himself and Hermione under the blankets and closed his eyes. Once her breathing evened out, he allowed himself to relax and succumb to sleep himself.

Harry sat cross-legged on his bed across from Ginny. Teddy was fussing in his crib, so she got up and held him in her arms.

"Tell me what happened," she said firmly as she sat back down and put Teddy down on the bed between her and Harry.

"It's a _long_ story." She shrugged.

"I've got time." He sighed and began his story from the beginning, Bill and Fleur's wedding.

It took Harry nearly an hour to tell Ginny everything. She listened in mostly silence; only adding gasps or murmurs of concern at the appropriate places. She couldn't believe how much had happened while she was at Hogwarts. Now it made sense. Harry, Ron and Hermione had made her stay behind for a reason. No matter how much she had wanted to be with them (mostly Harry), she probably wouldn't have made it out alive.

"Well, that's everything," Harry said once he was done. Ginny sat in silence for a few more seconds while she wrapped her mind around everything he had just told her. He reached over and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, uh, yeah. I just didn't know." Her voice was barely audible.

"Now you do. We've _all_ been through a lot; including you." Ginny glanced over at Teddy, who had fallen asleep about halfway through the story. His hair turned to a familiar shade of bubblegum pink.

"Harry look." Harry looked over at his sleeping godson. "Do you think he'll remember Remus and Tonks?"  
"Probably not."

"Oh." She looked away. He scooted towards her and kissed her forehead softly.

"We'll make sure he knows about them though, okay?" She nodded.

"I'm going to go to bed." She gave Harry a tender kiss on the lips before planting a loving kiss on Teddy's forehead and leaving. Harry sat up for a few more minutes sinking into deep thought of his parents. A small squeak from Teddy brought him crashing back to reality. He put his godson to bed and went back to bed himself.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Hermione woke up to feel a warm body pressed against hers and a strong arm wrapped around her waist. When she rolled over, she came face to face with a fast asleep Ron. A small smile played across her lips. She ran her fingers through his hair. He looked so peaceful while he slept. Hermione shifted to get in a more comfortable position, causing him to wake up. His eyes fluttered open, and he stretched for a few seconds before turning his attention to her.

"Morning," she whispered.

"Morning." He pecked her on the lips.

"You didn't have to stay with me all night you know."

"Of course I did. I had to make sure that you're alright." He paused. "Are you?"

"I guess. I don't know." He sat up. It was obvious that she wasn't telling him something.

"What's on your mind?" Hermione sat up too.

"Will you go with me to get my parents?" she asked meekly.

"Sure, when do you want to go?"

"Today?" It was a question, not a definite statement, as if she needed Ron's permission to go.

"Let me get dressed first." He gave her a quick kiss before climbing out of bed. She followed in suit several minutes later.

It was nearly midnight by the time Ron and Hermione got to Australia because of the time difference. They Apparated in a deserted park and walked down the country road hand in hand. He kissed the back of her hand softly. She stopped outside a small house with the lights on. Her heart was pounding like mad in her chest.

"Well, this is it," she sighed. "Let me do all the talking, got it?"  
"Yeah, that's fine." She pulled Ron up the walkway and knocked on the front door. Mr. Granger answered after a few seconds.

"May I help you?" he asked. It pained Hermione that he didn't recognize her at all.

"Our car broke down a little ways back; can we use your phone?"  
"Come on in." He seemed reluctant to let two strangers in his house but let them in anyway.

"Darling, who's at the door?" Mrs. Granger asked as she entered the foyer. In a flash, Hermione whipped out her wand. She hit Mr. Granger first since he was closer. The force of the spell sent him stumbling backwards. Mrs. Granger screamed. Hermione hit her next. Both her parents stood rooted to the floor, clearly confused. Mr. Granger came to his senses first.

"Hermione?"  
"Daddy!" She threw her arms around his neck. He was obviously startled by this and stumbled backwards again.

"Hermione, what happened?" Mrs. Granger asked her daughter. "Where are we?" Hermione shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"Maybe we should go into the kitchen," Ron suggested, breaking the heavy silence that had settled over everyone. They had _a lot_ of explaining to do.

In the kitchen, Hermione waved her wand, causing tea to start brewing. Everyone took a seat around the round kitchen table. Hermione took a deep breath while she tried to figure out where to start their story. She might as well start with explaining to her parents _why_ they were in Australia.

"I did this for your safety," she started. "That way, if Death Eaters found you, you could honestly say that you had no clue who we were."

"So you played with our memories?" Mr. Granger asked; confused as to whether or not he should be mad at her. Close to tears, she nodded.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, finally letting loose her pent up feelings.

"It's okay, sweetie," Mrs. Granger cooed as she pulled Hermione into a hug. "Why don't you just tell us what's been going on this year?" She nodded. She and Ron took turns telling the Grangers what had happened. They made sure to leave out the detail about Hermione being tortured by Bellatrix; it was the last thing they needed to know at the moment.

Ron and Hermione got home around mid afternoon, English time, after making sure that Mr. and Mrs. Granger were back home and settled in comfortably.

"Thanks for coming with me," Hermione said quietly as they stood together in the foyer.

"Anytime, baby." He wound his fingers through her hair and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "Hey, Hermione, I-"

"You're back!" Ginny exclaimed, completely ruining the semi-romantic moment. Ron let out a frustrated sigh. "How are your parents?" she asked as she came down the stairs.

"They're pretty good. I'm going to spend the day with them tomorrow," Hermione replied.

"That's good." Ron planted a loving kiss on the top of Hermione's head.

"I'm gonna go rest," she said. He let her go, and she drifted over to the sitting room.

"Harry told me what happened to her," Ginny said to her brother. He leaned against the gloomy wall and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, I figured as much." He sighed sadly. "She hasn't been the same since. I just wish that there was something I could do for her."

"You are; you're there for her. I can tell that you really care about her." He blushed.

"I'm gonna go relax with 'Mione," she said before squeezing Ginny's shoulder and retreating to the sitting room. She went back upstairs to finish what she had been doing.

In the sitting room, Hermione was on the couch reading a book while Harry played on the floor with Teddy.

"I thought you were resting," Ron said as he sat on the couch next to her.

"I am." He stretched out across the couch with his head in her lap. She ran her fingers through his fiery hair as she continued to read her book. Harry rolled Teddy onto his back and tickled his chubby tummy. The child let out a squeal, causing Hermione to crack a small smile of amusement. His hair flashed colors, showing off how happy he truly was. Harry picked him up and tossed him up in the air several times like he didn't weigh a thing.

"Careful Harry, he'll get sick," Ron warned.

"I know." Teddy yawned. "I'm going to put him down for his nap." Harry stood up and cradled his suddenly half-asleep godson in his arms. He nodded to his friends before leaving the room.

Once Harry was gone, Hermione put her book down and carefully stood up, causing Ron's head to fall back on the couch.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I want to lay down with you." He slid up on the piece of furniture so he took up the entire length of the couch while she crawled over him and positioned herself between his strong body and the back of the couch.

"Are you okay?  
"I am now," she murmured as she rested her head on his chest and draped her arm across his toned stomach. He ran his fingers up and down her back lightly. She nuzzled his chest affectionately before closing her eyes. It didn't take long for sleep to claim her. Ron struggled to stay awake for as long as possible. Every time he felt his eyes droop, he would force them open again. He wanted to make sure that Hermione would be okay and sleep peacefully for a few hours. Exhaustion eventually claimed him, and he fell asleep with his arms around Hermione.

When Ron woke up an hour later, Harry and Ginny were playing chess in the middle of the floor. Hermione was still fast asleep on top of him, making it extremely difficult for him to sit up without waking her. He wound his fingers through her hair and shifted slightly. Ginny looked over and smiled.

"Morning sleeping beauty," she joked.

"What time is it?"

"About 4:30." Hermione whimpered in her sleep. Ron gently rubbed her back to calm her down.

"Hey, hey, shh; it's okay. It's okay," he cooed. Instantly, she calmed down and opened her eyes. She blinked several times, looking around wide-eyed. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Hermione ran her fingers over his cheek and down his chest. Ginny made a gagging noise.

"You guys are _disgusting_."

"Checkmate," Harry proudly announced. Her head whipped around.

"What!? No way!"

"Look at the board, babe, I won." She pouted as if that would change the outcome of the game.

"And you call _us_ disgusting," Hermione commented.

"Could be worse," Ron pointed out, not all that thrilled at the PDA coming from his little sister and best friend.

"You mean like this?" Ginny asked before leaning over and kissing Harry full on the mouth.

"What out, Harry, that's my baby sister." She broke off the kiss and glared hatefully at her brother.

"I'm _not_ a baby!" she growled.

"Careful Ron, or else Ginny will curse your arse into next year," Harry said with a chuckle.

"Not a chance, Hermione will protest me." Snorting, Hermione propped herself up so she hovered over Ron.

"Yeah right." Without warning, he began to tickle her mercilessly. She rolled off the couch, landing facedown on the carpet. Right away, Ron sat up.

"Merlin, are you okay?" he asked as he gently rolled her over to find that she was laughing. Harry and Ginny burst out laughing too. Ron got to his feet and helped his girlfriend up. "I'm sorry, 'Mione." He tried to wrap his arms around her, but she didn't return the affection.

"Uh-uh, no way." He kissed her neck and slid his hand under her shirt and across her stomach. "Ronald Weasley! I _know_ you did not just do that!"

"I dunno, 'Mione, it looks like he did," Ginny replied with a flip of her vibrant hair over her shoulder.

"Shove off, Gin." Harry and Hermione looked at each other. The last thing they wanted at that moment…or any moment for that matter was a fight between Ron and Ginny. That would lead to screaming, which would wake Mrs. Black whose screams would wake Teddy, and none of that was a good thing.

"Okay children, calm down," Hermione directed in a stern voice, which was much like Professor McGonagall's. Surprisingly enough, they listened to her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

A painful scream caught Ron's attention. He bolted up the stairs, taking them two at a time and threw open the door to Hermione's room. It was the fifth time this week that she had these nightmares. He wrapped his arms around her as he slid onto the bed. Unfortunately, all of this was starting to become routine for him.

"Stay with me," she whimpered.

"Of course, honey." Once Hermione calmed down, he slid under the blankets with her. Right away, she molded her body to his and rested her head on his chest. His presence alone added a feeling of security that instantly calmed her. It didn't take long for sleep to claim them both.

The following morning, Harry and Ginny were enjoying breakfast when there was a knock on the front door.

"I've got it," he said as he stood up. She leaned over and tickled Teddy playfully. When Harry returned to the kitchen, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were with him.

"Hi Mum, Dad," Ginny said as she stood up and hugged each of her parents. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Can't we visit our children?" Mr. Weasley reasoned.

"Sure, it's just unexpected. Ron and Hermione are still asleep."

"That's fine, I'll go wake them up," Mrs. Weasley offered with a hint of firmness in her voice.

"Oh, I've got it, Mum." Before Ginny could stop her, Mrs. Weasley was on her way upstairs. She cast a fleeting glance at Harry. Ron was asleep with Hermione in her bed, and Mrs. Weasley wasn't going to like that at all.

Mrs. Weasley opened the door to Hermione's bedroom. She was shocked to find Hermione and Ron curled up in each other's arms.

"What are you two doing!?" she demanded loud enough to wake them both up. They sat up and looked around, completely dazed and bleary eyed. "I asked you guys what you're doing!"

"Mum, we can explain-"

"You two are too young to be sleeping in the same bed!" Ron climbed out of bed. Already, his face was red with anger.

"Why do you even care?" Hermione climbed out of bed too and put a comforting hand on his arm.

"Ron, please calm down," she begged quietly. He shrugged her off rudely.

"No, Hermione, I _won't_ calm down." He turned his attention back to Mrs. Weasley.

"You guys are barely eighteen! When I agreed to let you live here, I meant in separate rooms!" Ron scoffed.

"'Allowed'!?" he repeated. "Legally, you can't stop me! I love her, Mum!" It was absolutely silent. Nobody knew how to react to Ron's outburst. Hermione moved first. She ran out of the room, only wanting to get away from everything. "Hermione, wait!" he called. He ran past Mrs. Weasley and after Hermione.

Hermione stormed into the kitchen and out the back door. Harry and Ginny looked at each other. As expected, Ron was hot on her heels. When he saw that Hermione wasn't in the kitchen, he went outside too. Not even thirty seconds later, Mrs. Weasley joined the party in the kitchen.

"What happened?" Mr. Weasley asked his wife. She let out a sigh of frustration.

"Your son and Hermione have been sleeping in the same bed," she replied bitterly. Not it was Ginny's turn to get angry.

"You want to know _why_ Ron's been sleeping in Hermione's bed?" she demanded. "She's been having these horrible nightmares _every night_. She wakes up screaming and crying all because Bellatrix Lestrange tortured her, and Ron stays with her all night so she doesn't get upset again and isn't afraid to sleep." Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked at each other. Neither of them had expected what Ginny had just told them.

Outside, Hermione sat on the lawn with her knees drawn tightly to her chest. Ron sat down next to her.

"Do you really love me?" she asked in a foreign voice as she kept her focus straight ahead. He reached over and squeezed her hand.

"Of course, I would _never_ joke about something like that." She turned to face him. Her chocolate brown eyes were brimmed red with tears.

"I'm scared of getting hurt."

"Why?"

"Because we fight all the time! I don't want you to leave me again." Ron took her face in his hands and ran his thumbs over her wet cheeks.

"Leaving you behind was one of the worst mistakes of my life."

"One of the worst mistakes? What's the worst?" He stopped to think just to make her squirm playfully. He already knew the answer.

"Letting Krum take you to the Yule Ball." Hermione giggled. "There you go; there's that beautiful smile of yours." He pecked her on the lips. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

**A/N:** Next chapter is the last!

Tina101


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

It was the day Harry and Ginny were both dreading. When they went down to breakfast, her letter from Hogwarts was already on the kitchen table.

"I'm not going back," she stated firmly.

"Oh yes you are," Harry said equally as firmly. "You need to finish your education."

"But you didn't!" He towered over her, but just like the other times they fought, she refused to back down.

"Which is why you need to go back."

"But what's going to happen to us?" Harry sighed. He should have figured that that was why she wanted to stay behind.

"We'll make it work. I'll write to you everyday and you'll be back for Christmas, and maybe I'll coincidentally be in Hogsmeade the same weekends you will." Ginny smiled. She snaked her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest.

"I'm going to miss you," she mumbled.

"I'll miss you too." She took several deeps breath as she enjoyed the feeling that being with Harry gave her.

"Umm, am I interrupting something?" Hermione asked tentatively several minutes later, completely ruining the moment.

"No," Harry replied, even though he knew that it was a lie. He turned his attention to Ginny. "Say we go to Diagon Alley together and get your school supplies?" Hermione bounced Teddy up and down on her hip.

"That sounds like fun." He slid his hand down Ginny's' back to her ass.

"Hey! Behave with the baby in the room!" Hermione scolded.

"Sorry," the young couple said in unison.

"Can you take care of Teddy for today?" Harry asked.

"Sure, Ron can play babysitter." He and Ginny looked at each other. "Don't worry; I'll keep an eye on them. You guys go and have fun."

"Lemme get my purse, and then we can go." Ginny skipped out of the kitchen with a smile plastered across her face. She looked like a little school girl, happy and cheerful.

"Thanks 'Mione."

"No problem. You guys deserve a chance to have some fun and go on a date."

"I owe you."

"I'll hold you to that." Teddy whimpered as he tried to reach something on the table with his pudgy little hand. "No, no, no, you're going to stay right here with me." Ginny returned with her purse. She could barely contain her excitement. It had been a while since she and Harry had gone out on a _real_ date.

"Okay, Ron's still asleep," she informed Hermione.

"Don't worry, I'll tell him where you are." Ginny slid her hand into Harry's, and they Disapparated. Teddy's head whipped around as he tried to figure out where they had gone. Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

"Come on, cutie, let's get you some breakfast."

Diagon Alley was fairly crowded for a weekday morning. as Harry and Ginny walked down the street hand in hand, people stared and whispered to their friends, but the couple simply ignored them. For the first time being out in the public eye since the Last Battle, things weren't all that bad. The first stop of the day was to get Ginny's new school books.

"You have your list, right?" Harry asked.

"Damn, I knew I forgot something." His face fell. Ginny smiled up at him. "Don't worry, I'm only joking. I have it in my purse." She pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it over. "Merlin, you need to lighten up!"

"Well sorry."

"You better be." She paused. "Now, let's get started so we can get this over with."

A little while later, Ginny was browsing though the selves of worn books in search of the books on her supply list when she felt Harry's arms snake around her waist. He rocked her side to side slightly.

"Do you know how amazing you are?" he whispered in her ear. His warm breath tickled her flesh, sending shivers down her spine.

"I've been told that once or twice."

"Well it's true." He planted small, loving kisses on her cheek and neck.

"Harry! People are watching us!" Ginny shrieked.

"And?" She let out a frustrated sigh as she continued to scan the selection of books for the necessary titles.

"Ah-ha! Found it!" She grabbed the last book with her free hand and added it to the stack in her arms. Harry gently attempted to pry the pile from her arms.

"Here, I've got it."

"Harry, no," she attempted to argue.

"Ginny, give me the books. I'll take care of it for you." He pried the books out of her hands and walked to the cashier before the heated discussion could escalate to a full-blown argument.

When Harry and Ginny got to the street outside, they were greeted with a dreamy voice calling out, "Harry! Ginny!" Luna rushed over and gave both of her friends a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Shopping for school," Ginny replied with an over-dramatic, disappointed tone. Luna, however, was all smiles.

"Same here." Right away, Harry could tell that she and Ginny were going to want to talk for a while.

"Hey Gin, I'll be back, 'kay?"

"Yeah, okay." He gave her a quick goodbye kiss, said goodbye to Luna and disappeared down the crowded street. His goal was the small knickknack shop at the end of the street. He wandered around the shop looking for something special to give Ginny before she left for Hogwarts. A beautiful heart pendant on a delicate matching chain caught his attention. It was perfect; there was no doubt about it. He grabbed it off the shelf and paid for it quickly.

On his way back to Ginny and Luna, Harry passed by George's shop. Remembering his promise to Bill, he went inside.

"Welcome to-Harry!" George exclaimed when he saw Harry. The two exchanged a brotherly embrace. "What brings you here?"

"Ginny and I are shopping." He paused. "And your family is worried about you." George clenched and relaxed his jaw several times before answering.

"Ahh, you're my latest babysitter."

"No, I'm just a concerned friend who's here to help you." Shrugging, George went back to work. Harry trailed after him; he refused to give up just like that. He remembered what he had been like after Sirius' death.

"I don't need help, I'm fine," the older one argued. Harry helped him unload a box of new merchandise.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He didn't get an answer right away, and he didn't push it. Things were going to happen in their own good time…with some prompting of course.

"Does the dull, aching pain ever go away?" George sounded like a lost child, and his eyes reflected that.

"Not completely, but it does fade. You lost your twin brother, its okay to be upset."

"It's not that I'm upset, I wish that I could change everything. I wish that it had been me or that I could go back in time and change it all."

"You can't though, believe me, I'd probably be in line ahead of you to do that."

"I know," George replied sadly.

"So you have to move on. Stop burying yourself in your work and go see your family." He smiled slightly at the thought of spending time with his family.

"Yeah, thanks, Harry."

"Anytime. Now, I should really get back to Ginny before she thinks that I went home. See you later, George."

"See 'ya, Harry." As Harry left the shop, he noticed a new glow around George. Already, he was feeling better.

When Harry got back to Ginny, she had her face pressed against the window of the broomstick shop.

"Where's Luna?" he asked, causing her to jump and spin around. Her face softened when she saw who it was.

"She had to go." Ginny turned her attention back to the display in the window. "Wouldn't it be cool to get one of those little brooms for Teddy?"

"Maybe for Christmas, Sirius gave me my first broom for Christmas, so it'll be like keeping the tradition alive." Ginny pouted.

"Christmas?"

"Yeah, that way he's a little older. Besides, he may have inherited his mother's grace." She couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Tonks riding a broomstick without some sort of mishap.

"Merlin I hope not." Harry entwined his fingers with hers.

"Come on, let's go." They began to walk down the street together without a care in the world.

As they walked pas the Animal Menagerie, Ginny asked, "Are you going to get a new owl sometime soon?" Harry shrugged.

"I dunno, Gin, why?"

"Because how will you get your letters to me if you don't have an owl? Are you seriously going to trust Pig?" He stopped walking and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I promise you that I'll get a reliable owl before you leave." Satisfied, Ginny began to walk again.

Back at Grimmauld Place, Teddy was playing with his toys on the floor in the parlor while Ron and Hermione cuddled on the couch. There was a knock on the front door. Teddy's head whipped around with confusion written across his face as he tried to figure out where the noise was coming from.

"I'll get it," Ron offered as he untangled himself from Hermione and left the room. When he answered the door, he found his mother standing on the front stoop. "Are you here to yell at us some more?" he demanded much more rudely than was probably necessary. Mrs. Weasley looked extremely uncomfortable.

"May I come in? I want to talk to you and Hermione." He looked reluctant to let her in but finally buckled. It took a lot of guts to go back after making a mistake; he of all people knew that.

"Yeah, sure." Mrs. Weasley followed her son inside and to the parlor while going over what she wanted to say in her head.

In the parlor, Hermione was now on the floor playing with Teddy. She looked up when she heard Ron. Her face fell when she saw Mrs. Weasley. She got to her feet and adjusted her robes just to give her something to do with her hands.

"Hermione, I'm sorry for my attitude the other day," Mrs. Weasley started.

"Really, its fine," Hermione insisted because it was the polite thing to do.

"Not it's not!" Ron cried out. "You can't show up out of the blue and tell us how to live _our_ lives!"

"I'm just trying to look out for you two. I don't want you guys to rush into anything you're not prepared for." By now Ron was seething.

"I love this woman with all my heart, and if you can't accept that, then that's too damn bad!"

"Ronald!" Hermione scolded. There was absolute silence in the room for a few seconds. She caught her breath and tried to figure out where to go next. "Please stop fighting. I don't want you guys to be fighting over me." She turned her attention to Mrs. Weasley. There were fresh tears running down the older woman's cheeks. "I love Ron, Mrs. Weasley, I really do. I don't know what I'd do without him. I'm sorry if you can't accept that. You're like a mother to me, and I appreciate that you're worried about us." She turned to Ron. "And you, you of all people should understand how difficult this had to be for your mother. Don't get mad at her over something like this." With her pleas still hanging in the air, Hermione rushed out of the room with her face buried in her hands.

Teddy cooed as he hugged his teddy bear to his chest, breaking the uncomfortable silence that he settled over the room.

"Mum, I'm sorry for yelling at you," Ron said quietly. "I was out of line."

"No you weren't. I guess I was worried that you were both going too fast. Hermione's a very special woman with a good head on her shoulders, and she's lucky to have you." Ron's face turned bright red.

Hermione sat alone in the kitchen with her head in her hands. She heard footsteps in the foyer and Ron saying goodbye to Mrs. Weasley, so she decided to go back upstairs. By the time she got up to the foyer, Mrs. Weasley was gone.

"Come here, babe," Ron cooed when he saw her, and he opened up his arms, inviting her closer. She happily wrapped her arms around his lean waist and rested her head on his chest. The steady beating of his heart was incredibly soothing to her. it was what calmed her down after one of her nightmares. He ran his fingers up and down her back, causing her to shiver. "Are you okay now?"

"Uh-huh…I just don't like you guys fighting over me." He tipped her face up to look at him with his two fingers.

"You're worth fighting for, got it?' He ran his thumb over her soft, moist cheeks. "I love you, and I'll _always_ put up a fight for you." Hermione smiled weakly.

"I love you too."

At Diagon Alley, Harry and Ginny were just wandering around, window shopping. While she was busy looking in a window, he pulled out the necklace and fastened it around her neck.

"What the-" She reached up and fingered the gift as she turned around. She looked deep into his enchanting eyes. He looked like a young school boy in love. "Oh Harry, it's beautiful," she breathed as she carefully examined it. It was simple, yet stunning.

"It's for you for when you go back to Hogwarts so you can remember me."

"I _love _it!" Ginny threw her arms around his neck and pressed their lips together. As he happily returned the kiss, Harry couldn't help but think how everything had worked out for the best in the end.

**The End**


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